Garment Fastener

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a garment fastener having a relatively-similar function to that of a standard belt. The inventive fastener is characterised in that it only acts on part of the waist of the garment, for example the fastener may be stretched between two garment straps, the fastening effect being completed by the rest of the garment at waist level. For said purpose, the invention comprises a central body ( 1 ) which consists of an ornamental element and which can be of any configuration, type or design. Two fastening or coupling elements ( 3 ), such as cords, are solidly connected to the ends of the aforementioned body and are passed through a pair of straps ( 4 ′) on the garment, e.g. trousers ( 5 ), folded behind the central body ( 1 ) and fixed to one another by means of tying ( 6 ) or similar, such that the straps ( 4 ′) are pulled and the trousers ( 5 ) are tightened around the user&#39;s body.

PURPOSE OF THE INVENTION

This invention refers to a garment tightening device used to secure a garment to the waist of the user, such as trousers, skirt, trouser-skirt, jacket, etc. in order to suitably stabilize the garment to the body of the user.

The purpose of this invention is to make the garment itself participate in its own tightening around the body, which confers the tightening device a broad range of design possibilities and practical uses, fulfilling a double function; on one hand to secure the garment and on the other as an aesthetic complement to the clothes of a person.

The invention is therefore an accessory for garments.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

When it comes to securing a garment, especially in the case of a garment for the lower half of the body, two different systems are known: braces and belts. Braces constitute a means of securing by suspension that is completely different from the invention, while the belt acts as a tightening device that completely surrounds the waist of the user and closes over itself with a broad range of hooking systems.

The belt uses the classic, non-movable, belt loops to secure the garment, which considerably conditions their configuration, which practically does not allow designers to extend their imagination beyond the configuration of the buckle or closing element, as the body of the belt involves a strip of suitable width to pass through said belt loops.

In the case of a garment design without belt loops, the belt cannot be used, or at least cannot be used as an element to hold the garment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The tightening device proposes to resolve the aforementioned problem in a fully satisfactory way, eliminating all limitations of a conventional belt and based on a different functional philosophy, so that the tightening device does not entirely surround the waist of the user, as in the case of classical belts; instead it affects the garment only partially, which may be minimal, with the garment cooperating in its own tightening, as stated above.

Therefore and more specifically, the tightening device consists of a central body, which constitutes the support of the decorative element of the device and may be one or more parts and obtained in any material considered suitable, central part that may be of any appropriate length, always less than the perimeter of the user's waist, and that at the ends extend in respective tying or hooking elements, such as strips, strings, etc. preferably elastic and in any case flexible, capable of easily passing through belt loops or foldable over themselves under the central part in order to be tied together after the latter, with the necessary tension to achieve the tightening effect, or closing one over the other by any other mean.

From the aforementioned, in order to implement the tightening device, only two belt loops are necessary in the garment, that will be used to tighten or strangle the garment over the user's waist, which derives in the following consequences:

-   -   The central part that constitutes the fundamental part and         considering the tightening device may present any structure and         configuration, and furthermore, a width considerably greater         than the belt loops of garments.     -   The tightening device can be placed over the front part of the         garment, the rear part or any one of its sides with no other         limitation that to be secured to two belt loops separated by a         given distance.     -   The garment may only include two belt loops, suitably located,         or event lack them, substituting them for holes that allow the         passage of the tying or hooking elements.

In any case, the effect achieved, instead of the classic perimeter strangulation of the belt over the waist of the user, consists in approximating two more or less distanced belt loops from two points of the garment, in order to reduce the effective perimeter of the garment and achieve its suitable adaptation to the body.

With regards to the closing element of the tightening device and is obvious, said tying or hooking elements, i.e.: ribbons, strings, strips, etc, can be secured by their ends by tying, but can also be equipped at the ends by any conventional and suitable closing system, such as magnets, Velcro®, slide fastener, elastic, buckle, etc.

Finally the central part may be divided into two halves, linked together through any closing system, so that the tightening and closing of the device is performed at the central part.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

In order to complement the description being made and in order to help to a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, in accordance with a preferential example of its practical use, this document includes as an integral part of the description, a series of drawings that, for illustrative purposes but not limited to, represent the following:

FIG. 1. Shows, based on a schematic elevation representation, a tightening device for garments performed in accordance with the purpose of this invention, including a partial representation of the garment it is applicable to.

FIG. 2. Shows, also in a frontal elevation drawing, the waist tightening device above duly mounted on a garment.

FIG. 3. Shows a representation similar to FIG. 2, but with a different design for the tightening device.

FIG. 4. Shows a variation of the tightening device, in which the central part is divided into two intercoupling halves and that use different means of securing to belt loops.

FIG. 5. Shows an assembly of the combination represented in the figure above.

FIG. 6. Shows a representation similar to FIG. 1, but where the garment does not include any belt loops; instead the tightening device is secured through suitably located orifices in the garment.

FIG. 7. Shows an assembly of the combination represented in the figure above.

FIG. 8. Shows a tightening device similar to FIG. 3, which instead of being mounted on the front part of the trousers is over a front-side part.

PREFERENTIAL EXECUTION OF THE INVENTION

In light of the figures above, and especially FIGS. 1 and 2, it can be seen how the garment tightening device described consists of a central part (1), such as for example, and in this case with an approximate length of half the user's waist, and which shall adapt to the front part, as shown in FIG. 2; the central part is finished (1) in end hooks (2) for the respective laces (3), destined to pass through belt loops (4) suitable for the trousers (5), and to fall back behind the central part (1), securing one with the other through a knot (6) that can be hidden or made visible such as the case of FIG. 2.

In this example of practical execution, the belt loops (4) of the trousers nearest to the frontal opening result inoperative, and can pass or not through these on the central part (1), securing it on the lateral belt loops, (4′), because of the central part (1), but obviously the belt loops shall be used when said central part is considerably shorter (4), such as in the example of FIG. 3, where size and configuration of the central part (1) are completely different.

It also foresees the possibility, shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, that the central part is divided into two parts (1-1′) interconnected through any coupling system (7) and that said central part (1-1′) lacks laces (3) or any other tying element; the central part (1-1′) including lateral extensions and folded back (8) determining of securing openings (9) capable of coupling to belt loops (4) of the trouser, as shown in figure (5).

As already stated, the belt loops (4) are not determining, i.e. that the trouser or garment in question may not have them; however this is not an obstacle for using the invented tightening device; as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the trouser or garment (5) may include, in substitution of belt loops (4), orifices (10) for passing laces (3) or for passing the tying or hooking element chosen at the time.

The practical execution of FIGS. 6 and 7 show a central part (1) with a design that is completely different to the aforementioned cases, which evidences the tightening device is an excellent scenario for decoration and aesthetics in addition to fulfilling its supporting function.

Although in FIGS. 1 to 7, the tightening device appears located on the front of the garment, its position may vary around the perimeter of the user's waist, as already stated and shown in FIG. 8, where said device is established between two belt loops (4-4′) on one side of the trousers (5), with the possibility of using two belt loops on the rear, leaving the central body also in that area, with no further limitation than the user's criteria, which also provides great versatility of use for the device. 

1. A tightening device for garments such as trousers, skirts, trouser-skirts, jackets or others, wherein the tightening device acts on the garment at spaced apart points thereof, so that the tightening device itself and a predetermined portion of the garment participate in the tightening effect over the waist of the user, the device comprising a central body which absorbs the tightening tension, said central body being a rigid body fitted at its ends with coupling means for direct coupling to predetermined points of the garment through an auxiliary means.
 2. The tightening device for garments of claim 1, wherein the central and rigid body incorporates at its ends extensions which are folded on the body determining grooves having facing openings through which the tightening device is fixed to respective belt loops on the garment.
 3. The tightening device for garments of claim 1, wherein the central and rigid body comprises two physically independent parts provided with moveable mutual hooking or fixing means.
 4. The tightening device for garments of claim 2, wherein the central and rigid body comprises two physically independent parts provided with moveable mutual hooking or fixing means. 